Construction starts on another new residence hall

300-bed, semi-suite style

Construction begins on new, 300-bed, semi-suite residence hall.

Construction on Minnesota State Mankato’s new 300-bed, semi-suite style residence hall will begin Saturday, March 5, near the Carkoski Commons on the northwest corner of campus.

In keeping with the university’s strategic priority for a sustainable, pedestrian-friendly campus, the new hall will be built next to the McElroy Residence Community, connected by classrooms, the First Year Experience office and gathering spaces.

The Department of Residential Life planning aligns with Minnesota State Mankato’s 20-year master plan, which is designed to improve quality and variety of student housing, enhance opportunities for social interaction, create a pedestrian-friendly environment, enhance campus open space and streetscape, expand campus mall circulation system, and improve campus arrival.

The new residence hall will open in Fall 2012 in conjunction with the decommissioning of the Gage Residence Community.

It will be financed with revenue fund bonds, paid for from residence hall room fees. Residence halls are self-supporting; funds to build them come from fees paid by the students who live in them.

The new four-story facility will accommodate 300 students when completed. It will have bedrooms with individually controlled air conditioning and heating, tile floors and sound-resistant walls, loftable beds, dressers and desks with lockable drawers, upholstered office chairs, closets, plentiful electrical outlets and dual Internet, telephone and cable TV jacks. It also will have a number of environment-friendly features, including water-saving toilets in bathrooms.